Home is Where the Heart Is
by Nal'om
Summary: My take on what should have happened after Alanna and Jon's fight in The Woman who Rides Like a Man.  AlannaxJon, rated to be safe
1. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Song of the Lioness. If I did, Jon and Alanna would've gotten back together!**

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Alanna returned to her tent. "How dare he...that pompus...idiot!" she threw a pillow at the tent wall. She continued her rampage, until a soft cry emitted from under one of the more rececntly-thrown sheets. Still seething, she pulled the sheet back, revealing a slightly trembling Faithful. He turned to face her, fur slightly pricking on his back.

"What are you doing? What happened?"asked Faithful, wearing an expression best described as a snarl. At his words, Alanna appeared to have just woken up, and fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, all right, it's just..."Alanna teared up slightly.

"You had a fight with Jon, didn't you?" Faithful asked, suddenly sympathetic.

"How'd you know?"asked Alanna, slightly spooked.

"He's the only reason I could think of that would make the Lioness cry." Faithful replied simply, moving twords her. Alanna scooped him up and drew him to her, letting her tears spill over.

"Faithful, it was...awful! He called me unfeminine, insulted me, and then rode off! He didn't even give me time to think...but he assumed my answer was a 'yes'. He should know better, so don't you go thinking it's all my-" Faithful cut her off with a yowl.

"If you care that much, why are you still here? You obviously want to go after him." Alanna glared at him, silently cursing him for making so much sense.

"Because!" Alanna flopped down on her bed. Pounce curled himself up next to her head. "It's complicated, all right! And I refuse to lose face over that..." for the first time, the Lioness was at a loss for words.

"Prince?" interjected Pounce. "Heir, noble, friend, ex-knight master, love of your life, they all fit."

"Maybe you're right." Alanna allowed, considering. "But what do you suggest I do now? I've done a pretty thorough job of screwing up our relationship, don't you agree? I'd be lucky if I could walk through the palace door without being apprehended by the Own."

"All that may be true, but you can't prove anything, can you? It can't be any worse a fate then sitting here wondering what would've happened if things had worked out any other way."

"You know, for a cat, you make too much sense sometimes." Alanna jumped from the bed, and started packing her things.

"What are you doing?" asked Faithful.

"Packing. We leave for Corus in an hour." Alanna continued her furious packing. Faithful let up a smile, and returned to his traveling basket.

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	2. The Return of the Lioness

Alanna finished packing quickly, throwing the last of her bags into a pile in a corner of the tent. Looking at the stack, she realized she would have to sacrifice some supplies to ride as hard as she was about to. Quickly pulling out her summer clothes, extra food, and miscellaneous other items, Alanna was finally satisfied. Leaving her tent, she went in search of Halef Seif. Even though she was free to leave as she wished, she felt she owed the man at least the knowledge of why, he had been such a gracious host, and she didn't want to think her decision had anything to do with him.

Finally, she found him in the center of camp. As she walked up to him, she took a deep breath and started composing a speech in her head, one that would explain everything. However, things didn't go as planned.

"You're leaving us, aren't you?" Halef asked.

"H...how did you know?"Alanna asked, clearly startled.

"After your prince left, the entire tribe knew you were going to leave soon after. It's no surprise, really. It's quite obvious you two were closer than friends." Halef informed her, smiling. Alanna took a step forward, still shocked.

"Godspeed, Woman Who Rides Like a Man." Halef gave her a smile, and walked back to his camp. Alanna, dazed, returned to her tent. Grabbing what little she would bring, she ran to the stables. As she saddled Moonlight, her horse stamped a foot anxiously.

"I'm sorry girl, but we're in for some hard riding."Alanna walked Moonlight to the edge of the camp. Swinging herself into the saddle, she kicked Moonlight into a gallop. It was a good half-day's ride to the palace at this point, and she wasn't willing to lose any more time than she had to.

Alanna finally reached the city. Moonlight was sweat-soaked and breathing hard from riding. "Who goes there?" asked a sleepy guard.

"Alanna of Trebond and Olau, King's Champion." Alanna crossed her fingers, praying she would be allowed through. After a delay that seemed like hours, the guard finally told her to proceed, and the gates to Corus opened. Alanna kicked Moonlight into a trot, conscious of what her horse had just done for her. Murmurs followed her through the streets of Corus. "Look at her, never thought we'd see her again." "I heard she turned down the crown prince!" "That girl gave up what every woman dreams of, and now she wants it back." Alanna ignored them silencing a few with a glare. Apparently even the townspeople had heard of her temper, and were all the wiser to avoid it.

For every 3 or 4 whispers about what she'd done, there was one welcoming her home. It was nice to know she had supporters. A few women curtsied as she passed, a few children waved.

As she rounded a corner, she kicked Moonblossom into a canter. The palace seemed to glow, her destination had arrived at last. Arriving at the stables, she gave Moonblossom an apple. Before handing her reigns to a stableboy, she thanked Moonlight. She thought she saw her horse grin and raise an eyebrow, but it was probably a trick of the low light in the stables. She fairly threw the reigns at the stableboy, and ran back through the stable doors. Frantic, she realized for the first time how large and daunting a place the royal palace was when one had no idea where the person one was searching for was. Stopping a rather tired-looking squire on her way through a courtyard, she asked him if he knew where the Crown Prince was. He was undoubtedly wondering what business the Lady Knight had with the heir, but he knew better then to voice his thoughts. He told her he "thought...last time he checked...Prince Jonathan may be...was probably..."he stuttered through several more sentences until Alanna lost her temper and demanded he tell her where he was now. The now frightened squire told her the Drawing Room, and ran off through one of the archways.

Alanna's heart pounded as she ran through the palace grounds. The only thing on her mind was that she had to reach Jon before it was too late. For what, she didn't know, but there was an undying sense of urgency regarding the matter.

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Meanwhile, Prince Jon was sitting through a meeting with some Scanran officials. It was his duty, being the next King, to be there. His father and the officials were going back and forth on matters of borderlines, alliances, and a million other problems they seemed to discuss on a daily basis. His mother sat beside the King, a politely interested expression on her face. He couldn't help thinking about how that could have been him and Alanna one day. Suddenly, the doors flew open, hitting the walls harshly. The Prince's heart seemed to fail him as he sat even farther back in his chair. The one person he was nearly positive he would never see again was standing before him.

Alanna.

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So, what'd you think? Suspense, huh? What will happen next? Will Jon be happy or sad to see her return? What will the King and Queen say? All of that will be included in the next chapter, but I want to know what YOU think. So, remember, review. 


	3. Reactions

Disclaimer: If I owned The Song of the Lioness, I wouldn't have to be writing this alternate ending.

Choirgeek:0-0! You're so right! Everyone, I apologize for the out of sequenceing, but for the sake of my sanity we'll leave it as it is now. Yes, Alanna doesn't become King's Champion 'til later, but here...she does! Thank you so much for pointing that out!

Alanna crossed the room purposefully. The entire room seemed to be in suspended animation, all eyes on the Lioness. The sound of her boots striking the floor were the only audible sound in the room. No one seemed to breathe as they watched and wondered: why was she here?

Alanna continued her seemingly endless journey to where Jon was now sitting, staring at her in shock. She had become painfully aware of how quickly her heart was beating, due to it pounding in her ears.

Jonathan finally stood up. Fury began to rise in his eyes, mixed with fear and...something else. He continued to stare at Alanna. She was halfway across the room. Beginning a sprint twords him, she seemed to break the spell on the people in the room. Raoul was sitting in shock, the King had murder in his eyes, the queen was smiling gently, the Scanran representitives were wondering if it would be best to slowly edge out the door,unfortunatly, they were still spellbound by the scene before them and their feet refused to move.

Alanna threw off her riding gloves, and threw herself at Jonathan. Jonathan stepped back, twirled her around, then hugged her fiercly. Alanna hugged him back. Suddenly, as if they just remembered where they were, they tore apart, Alanna stepped back, and just managing to gain her balance. Jonathan catching himself on his chair.

The king now rose from his seat. Jonathan looked up in terror. Alanna's gaze was defiant.

"WHAT, JON, IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" King Roald demanded. Alanna moved to speak, but Jonathan put his hand on her arm, silently begging her to stay silent. Alanna nodded, backing up a few paces.

"Father, Alanna is...a dear friend to me. And if she'd let me, I would like to start over." Jonathan cast a meaningful glance at Alanna, and Alanna lifted her eyes to meet his. In them was everything he needed to see.

"Jonathan, this is a lot to proclaim, and very bold of you. Quite frankly, how DARE you two..."the King was stopped by Lianne, who placed a hand gracefully over his. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but due to the silence of the room, everyone heard her.

"Dear, I think we should give them a chance. Jonathan is just as stubborn as you are, and I do believe that Alanna will make a fine Queen." Lianne gave her husband a pleading look. To everyone's surprise, Roald sat down.

"Jonathan, Alanna, you are excused from court for the remainder of the day. Dismissed."

Alanna immediately headed for the still open door, Jonathan thanked his father, and ran after her.

He caught her in the courtyard, she was sitting below a cherry tree.

"Hello, Alanna." he said before sitting down next to her.

"Hello, Jon."

"Well, that was unexpected. Alanna, tell me one thing. Why did you come back?"Jon's eyes sought hers, but Alanna was careful not to look at him.

"Well, I was no longer needed in the desert and-" Alanna had never been a good liar, and now she didn't even feel like trying. "I came back...to see you."

"Why did you come all the way back, after what happened...I thought-" Jonathan didn't finish his own sentence, he was confusing himself.

"Because, even though we fought, I still l...love you." Alanna finally met his eyes. What she saw in them scared her. He obviously felt the same way, but what did that mean? What would happen to them now?

"I love you too, Alanna." Jonathan kissed her. "I'm sorry I never came after you. I was...afraid. Afraid of you, afraid of what was happen if I came back...I was a coward."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was afraid, too. If it weren't for Faithful, I may still be in the desert." Jon laughed.

"So, we have your cat to thank for this?" Alanna nodded. "Then I shall have him made the best and finest quarters we can offer. I could never thank him enough."

Alanna nodded, and turned to face him. "Jon, what now? What will happen to us-to me, to you, what about my dreams? My life? My knighthood-" Jon put a finger over her mouth to silence her.

"Alanna, I would never ask you to give any of that up. I love you too much. I do, however, have something else to ask you." Jon fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.

"Alanna, I love you. I would have you be my queen-if you would let me." Jon put the box into Alanna's view. He opened it, to reveal a beautiful gold ring, encrusted with small diamonds and rubies.

"Alanna, you don't have to answer now-I'll wait my entire life if I have to-but, will you marry me?"

Ooh, cliffhanger! If you can read this, you can review. So, please get to it! Tell me what you think should happen to George-I have a rough idea of what I may do, but it's still wide open. I love hearing what you have to say. A big shout-out to my reviewers: lulu the angel, GuitarBlonde, choirgeek, and Mythstar Black Dragon. Couldn't do this without you guys!


	4. The Lady's Answer

**Disclaimer: What? This isn't a copy of the last Song of the Lioness book? It looks like I don't own it then...**

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"Jon, I..." Alanna stopped, unable to finish her sentence. Jon looked at her, expectantly. In his eyes she could see her future staring her in the face, but...

"It's all right. I didn't expect an answer right away." Jonathan started to walk away.

"Jon, wait." Alanna jumped up and ran over to stand beside him. "I do want to, but I'm just not ready right now." Alanna's gaze pleaded with him to understand. Fortunately, Jon understood her perfectly.

"Well, Father was kind enough to give me the rest of the day off. Probably the last one I'll have in a long time. And you know what? I'd love nothing more than to spend it with you."

"Well, if this really means that much to you, I suppose I could..."Alanna teased. "Just give me a few seconds to change clothes. First impressions are important, I doubt people would appreciate their possible future queen being a stable rat." Alanna ran off to her room, leaving Jon staring after her. 'Well, at least there's never a dull moment' he thought to himself, and sat down to wait.

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Alanna hurried back to her rooms. To her surprise, they weren't as she had left them. They were impeccably neat and clean. A pair of riding breeches and a soft cotton shirt were laid out on her bed. "Hello, my lady" a voice said from behind her. Alanna whirled around, drawing her sword. To her surprise and relief, it was just a maid. Sheathing her sword, Alanna apologized to the maid. To her surprise, the maid remained unfazed.

"I was warned you may react like this." the maid explained. Seeing the puzzled look on Alanna's face, the maid saw further explanation was necessary.

"Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself."-she curtsied-"My name is Mary, but everyone calls me Molly. I've been assigned to be your maid." seeing that Alanna's look hadn't changed, she continued. "Ah, I see. Nobody told you? As the crown prince's intended, you must have a maid to help you attend to all of your needs." Alanna's expression shifted from one of interest to sheer fury.

"I have no need for a maid, or anyone fussing over me. And I demand to know how you found out about-" Molly waved her hand vaguely.

"You can't honestly have expected it to stay a secret." Molly took a step twords the fuming lioness. "And you can't go out like that." she informed Alanna, picking up a strand of droopy filthy hair.

"I can and I will. Jon's waiting for-"Alanna was cut off.

"He's waiting, is he? Well, he can wait a bit longer." Alanna for once didn't feel like arguing-overwhelmed by it all. She sat down and let Molly drag a comb through her hair and wash her face off. When she reached for her riding clothes, Molly put her hand over Alanna's.

"My lady, you can't go out in public like that. Imagine what people will-"

"I don't care what people think. I'm wearing them." Without another word Alanna stepped behind a curtain to change, grabbed her sword, and left the room, slamming the door with a bang. After she left, Molly sighed. Alanna was a bigger handful than she'd been warned about.

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Alanna approached the courtyard at a sprint. 'What do they think they're doing? Giving me a maid without telling me, it's-it's'

Jon was sitting in the courtyard, smirking. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

"I suppose you've met your new maid," Jon replied, still smirking.

"YOU MEAN THAT YOU-" Alanna leaped at him, landing on his back. She pulled-lightly-on his hair, while he stumbled around to prevent toppling over.

"Leggo!" Jon cried. Alanna let herself fall from his grip, collapsing onto the ground, laughing.

"That's what you get for setting an appearance-obsessed maid on me." Jon tried to help her up, but she batted his hand away. "I can sit up myself, thank you." Alanna pulled herself to her feet.

"You still haven't told me where we're going..."Alanna informed Jon as they walked twords the stables.

"You'll see when we get there." he told her, holding her hand.

They reached the stables. Moonlight and Darkness were already saddled. Alanna took the reins from Stefan, and walked Moonlight to the doors. Jon was already there. Alanna swung herself up into the saddle. Jon mounded Darkness. Flipping his hair out of his face, he playfully told Alanna "Race you to the gates" and kicked Darkness into a gallop. Alanna followed, and soon they were racing together over the palace grounds.

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Meanwhile, the King of Thieves, the Rogue himself, George Cooper sat on his throne in the Dancing Dove. A messenger came to him and handed him a letter. He took a quick glance at it and his brow furrowed. He tossed it into the fire and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. This was a turn of events indeed.

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**Phew, another chapter is finished! First of all, I would like to thank my reviewers: MythStar Black Dragon, GuitarBlonde, choirgeek, lulu the angel, and Nina. You guys rock!**


	5. My Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own Song of the Lioness. Plain and simple.

They bounded through the gates together. Looking up at one of the guards, Jon called "Hey! Who passed through these gates first?"

"I don't know sir, you were so close it was hard to tell" someone called back. Jon sighed and turned to Alanna. "I guess it's a tie, then." he told her with a mischievous grin. Alanna smirked back.

"So, when do I find out where we're going?"

"When we get there." With that, Jon started off twords Corus. As he rode, he pulled a cloak over his head.

"What's that for?" Alanna asked him.

"Here, there's one for you too. We can't have everybody treating us properly on our one day out, can we?" He tossed a cloak at Alanna, which landed over her face. She peeled it off and put it on. By that point, they were almost to the edge of the city.

"Jon, I thought we were-"

"We are. Just a bit longer now..." Alanna wondered if Jon even knew what she was going to say. She shrugged it off and kept riding. Finally, they reached the edge of the city. What Alanna saw took her breath away. Right outside the city was complete open country. It was beautiful.

"I used to love coming here as a young boy. Just to escape the tension of the palace for a few minutes was worth sneaking all the way down here." Alanna moved her hand to cover his.

"I can see why. Some days I don't know how you keep up with the palace. It's just so..."

"Hectic? Yes, it is. But I've found a way to make it more bearable."

"Really? How?"

"I think of you. It's another of my ways to escape. You make it all worth it." Jon turned to smile at her. Alanna smiled back.

"Well, the sun's almost going down. Aren't you hungry?" Jon asked Alanna.

"Eh...a little bit. Why?" Alanna asked.

"Because I know the perfect place to get some food." Jon took Alanna's hand and got ready to help her up onto her horse.

"I'm perfectly capable of mounting myself, sir knight." Alanna pointedly told Jon. Jon smiled and mounted his own horse.

"Of course, my dear lady." He rode off twords the city.

'He looks so handsome when he's riding...free' Alanna quickly banished said thought from her head and rode after Jon.

Once in the city, Jon stopped outside a building labeled "Lizzie's." He motioned for Alanna to follow him to the stable. They left Darkness and Moonlight with a stable hand, and returned to the restaurant.

"I thought we hadn't had any time alone in a while..." Jon told Alanna smugly. Alanna shook her head and pushed past him. He shrugged and followed her.

They were immediately seated on a balcony overlooking Corus.

"It's beautiful." Alanna breathed. Jon smiled.

"Beautiful enough to live in forever?" Jon asked. Alanna blushed.

"I'm not going to settle down anywhere because the view's nice."

"Why, then?"

"I'll only settle down to be with the one I love."

"Ah, leaving time for knighting, are we?"

"Well, I've been thinking maybe I'll settle down earlier than planned." Alanna looked pointedly at Jon.

"Really? With who?" Jon asked, smiling in a knowing way.

"You know perfectly well who, Jonathan Conte."

"I think I could venture a guess." Jon said, leaning to kiss Alanna.

"I think your guesswork has improved."


	6. Revelations

**_Omg, I'm alive, huh?_**

**_Sorry, it's just been really stressful lately, with bigger swim meets coming up and loads of homework._**

**_Finally, an update!_**

**_Thank you to all my faithful subscribers for putting up with this, I love you guys! 3_**

**_Now, without further ado, to the story!_**

**_(and I promise to try to update faster next time DX)_**

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A waitress wearing a white, heavily pressed apron walked up to them and took their order. Once she had gone, Jon noticed Alanna staring at him, as if she was begging him to say something.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What?" Alanna asked, startled. "Oh, it's nothing."

"Clearly it's not nothing. You were staring at me for so long I'm surprised pigeons haven't nested on your head."

Alanna shot Jon a murderous glare.

"Fine, I was just thinking that-even though I've known you since we were barely eleven-I don't really know much about you at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we never really discussed any hopes, dreams…I really have no idea what you want to do with your life. Besides running the kingdom, that is."

"You'd be surprised."

"Why?"

"Sometimes…I wish I didn't have to take over the kingdom some day."

"What are you talking about? That seemed to be the only thing on your mind the day you proposed in the desert." Alanna blushed afterward, this was one of the first they'd spoken to each other involving the incident.

"I've sort of gotten used to the idea. Everyone seems to wish they were me, but sometimes I wish I could just take off with Darkness. We could run as far as the Earth reaches, to the deepest sea, without a care for which meeting I was missing or who in court was currently gossiping about me."

"…I never thought of it that way."

"I suppose being a king also scares me a bit."

Alanna stopped at this. Jon, the invincible megaprince, scared? He had never shown any weakness before-at least not purposely.

"Why would it scare you?"

"I don't know. It just seems like…the power I'm inheriting-it's such a huge responsibility. I have thousands of lives in my hands. Power like that changes people, Alanna. I want to stay the way I am-sitting here in a restaurant with…you. The best monarchies aren't always wonderful people, Alanna. Remember that."

"Don't worry, Jon. I promise, if you ever get too full of yourself I'll be right there with a large bucket of water to dump over your head and bring you back to earth."

Jon laughed heartily at this, and before long, both were laughing and grinning like maniacs. They only managed to bring themselves under control after they realized they had attracted the attention of several noblemen and noblewomen near them. They were pointing and staring behind open fans or open menus.

Jon suddenly became a bit more serious.

"When you said you'll be right here, does that mean you've decided to stay here, in Corus, with me?"

"I promise, Jon. You have my undying loyalty, as a knight and as a person."

"No, that's not what I meant."

"What were you referring to then, Jon?"

"I thought…"  
At this point, a merciful maid brought them two glasses of lemonade, walking slowly out of the room. Jon breathed a sigh of relief, and took the brief reprieve to gather his thoughts.

"I was thinking…that…you were implying…"

"Yes, Jonathan?"

"How many times do I have to remind you-to you, it's Jon?"

"I'll call you whatever I feel like, your highness."

Jon cringed at the mention of his title-the conversation had been going to well, and it was nice to be able to forget all royal formalities up to this point. He did appreciate Alanna's spunk, though. Not many people would have answered him at all."

"Anyway…I was thinking that you were saying you wanted to stay here, in the palace…with me…forever."


	7. The Thief

_**Hey everybody! I'm back, with an update! Finally, some plot development! A super-special thanks to Tortall101, purple smurfs r real, and especially silverflight8. Without my lovely reviewers, my story would never have taken off the way it has.**_

_**As a side note, when the thieves talk in this chapter, I am aware most of them use heavy slang. But rather then writing " an' then 'ee ran t'rough tat alleyway, o'er there", which I find to be annoying to read, I will simply translate it as "And then he ran through that alleyway, over there." If anyone believes the addition of this slang would be beneficial to this story, or agrees with my reasoning, message/review me! I'd love to hear what you guys think!**_

_**Nal'om**_

Alanna's eyes widened at his rather unexpected statement. Jon's eyes never faltered; they remained staring at her face, waiting for a reply.

Alanna could feel the world slipping away. Everything seemed so distant. All she could hear was the beat of her own heart. Her traitorous heart that had caused her so much trouble, and others so much pain.

Jon seemed to take notice of Alanna's discomfort. He moved his hand cautiously to cover hers, his thumb tracing circles on her wrist. Alanna managed to bring her shock back under control.

"Jon, I-" Alanna was cut off by a loud BANG. The door to the tavern flew open, admitting a short man with substantially grubby hair and tattered clothes.

One of George's thieves.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to alarm you, I was told that Alanna of Trebond was here?"

Jon pushed Alanna behind him, but Alanna had a different idea. She didn't need to be protected. Standing beside Jon, she drew her sword. Jon felt her move, and reached his free hand down to grasp hers.

"I mean no harm, miss. I have a message from George." By this point, the entire restaurant was staring at them-ladies whispered behind spread fans about the prince and this Lady Knight, gentlemen were caught between grabbing their wives and running or standing with the Crown Prince and fighting what seemed to be a threat to their persons.

"George?" Alanna asked, surprised. She had been secretly hoping to put off meeting the Rogue for a bit longer. She dreaded having to explain her relationship with Jon; and dreaded it all the more when she didn't know herself where their relationship was going.

Fortunately, Jon's diplomacy skills that had been pounded into his head since he was four came to use here.

"Come here, my good man, and let us buy you dinner. We would love to hear what our old man George has to say." Jon sat back down at their table and Alanna took her seat next to him. The thief came over and sat down, as the noblemen and women went back to eating. Assuming this "George" was a long-lost uncle, or some distant relative to the prince, they saw no need for further inquiries.

Once at the table, Jon picked up his menu, angling it so that others could not see he was talking.

"What does George want? And why does he feel the need to disturb our dinner at this precise moment…"

"I'm not quite sure he cares what you two are doing right now, I'm not quite sure he could quite comprehend it, even if he was conscious."

"CONSCIOUS?" Alanna fairly screamed, startling those at the next few tables. Alanna blushed beet red, and Jon moved his hand to clasp hers. Alanna sought his eyes, and found them expressing something between sympathy from all the "mishaps" he had experienced in public as a prince and amusement that Alanna would be so conscious of something so…normal.

"Well, you see…being the rogue and all, George is usually able to take on any man in combat…"

"Obviously, or he wouldn't be the Rogue." Alanna rolled her eyes, and Jon had to smother a laugh-that is to say, he quickly turned it into a coughing fit.

"Well, he can take on any one man. But when he heard you"-he pointed to Alanna-"Were back in Corus, by note, he was told you wanted to meet him in the stables. He went out back, and after a while, one of his friends realized he had been gone for quite a while. That is to say-longer then needed to welcome the lass back to Corus" Alanna blushed furiously at the implication. The insolence! She was dating the crown prince, after all. One glance at Jon's smoldering eyes told her he was thinking the same thing.

"He went to check on him, and when he didn't hear any voices, decided to open the door to the stables. George was found unconscious on the floor, with one of his own daggers buried into the wooden floor about two inches from his skull."

"Is George all right?" Alanna said, standing up. Jon put his hand over hers, forcing her not to walk away, fearing she could be walking straight into a trap.

"He probably will be, lass. I believe perhaps seeing you may help him, though. And, I'm guessing both you and him want to see him?"

"Yes."

Jonathan pulled Alanna's head down to his height, whispering furiously in her ear: "What if all this is a trap? I am the crown prince, Alanna, and you are the King's Champion. How can we trust this…this filthy thug?"

"We have no choice," Alanna responded checking to make sure her sword and dagger were still secured in place.

"Let's go, then." The thief replied. Alanna was shocked to know he had heard them, but she supposed whispering didn't do much good with thieves-they overheard everything anyway.


End file.
